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USS BROWNSON (DD-518)

CLASS - FLETCHER As Built.
Displacement 2924 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 5"(oa) x 39' 7" x 13' 9" (Max)
Armament 5 x 5"/38AA, 4 x 40mm, 4 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 38 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 15 Knots, Crew 273.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bethlehem Steel, Staten Is. February 15 1942.
Launched September 24 1942 and commissioned February 3 1943.
Stricken January 22 1944.
Fate Sunk by Japanese Aircraft off Cape Gloucester, New Guinea December 26 1943.
108 of her crew were lost with the ship and remain on duty.

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Brownson 74kBorn in Lyons, N.Y., 8 July 1845, Willard Herbert Brownson graduated from the Academy in 1865. He commanded the protected cruiser Detroit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the revolution of 1893-94 and Yankee during the Spanish-American War. From 1900 until 1902 he was Superintendent of the Naval Academy. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet 15 October 1906. After his retirement in July 1907 he continued on active duty as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Rear Admiral Brownson died at Washington, D.C., 16 March 1935. Photo 15589v, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.Bill Gonyo
Brownson 82kArtist's conception of the Brownson as she appeared after original construction by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Brownson 62kUndated port side view of the USS Brownson (DD-518) anchored. The No. 4 5-inch gun barrel is at full depression. An SC air search radar is located at the masthead with the surface search SG dish mounted below it. Source: Australian War Memorial, Photo No. 302518.Mike Green
Brownson 151kCommissioning at Brooklyn Navy Yard, February 3 1943. From the Public Relations Department, Third Naval District, New York.David Way
Brownson 25kKodiak, Alaska circa 1943.William E. Clayton
Brownson 170kUSS Brownson (DD-518) underway at sea, circa early 1943. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #: NH 107241.Robert Hurst
Brownson 113kUSS Brownson (DD-518) and another unidentified destroyer at the New York Navy Yard, 27 April 1943. Note: Radars; 5"/38 Mk 30; guns. Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 19-N-44518.Tommy Trampp
Brownson 70kUSS Brownson (DD-518) off Kodiak, Alaska, 13 September 1943. Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-213217.Tommy Trampp
Brownson 249kBattle damage diagram dated December 26 1943. Source: Navy Department Library: Destroyer Gunfire, Bomb and Kamikaze Damage Report; War Damage Report No. 51.Mike Green
Brownson 154kUSS Brownson (DD-518) sinking after being hit by Japanese bombs, while covering the landings on Cape Glouster, New Britain, 26 December 1943. Clip from a movie film (very grainy). Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-240246.Mike Green
Brownson 155kUSS Brownson (DD-518) exploding, after being hit by Japanese bombs, while covering the landings on Cape Glouster, New Britain, 26 December 1943. Clip from a movie film (very grainy). Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-240245.Mike Green

USS BROWNSON DD-518 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


LCDR Joseph Benedict Maher    Feb 3 1943 - Dec 26 1943 (Later RADM)


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Jody Carpenter
Address:
Phone: (901)590-8555
E-mail: jodycar@msn.com


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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